Continuous supply paint roller



S. PRUlTT CONTINUOUS SUPPLY PAINT ROLLER Filed July 22. 1953 June 26,1956 United States Patent CONTINUOUS SUPPLY PAINT ROLLER Selma Pruitt,Jamaica, N. Y.

Application July 22, 1953, Serial No. 369,576

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-128) This invention relates to paint rollers of thetype provided with a cylinder and a handle, whereby paint from thecylinder is applied to a wall surface by manually rolling the cylinderover the wall, and the invention has for its general object new anduseful improvements in rollers of this type.

Paint rollers are desirable devices for applying paint to wall surfacesbecause of the many advantages associated with them. Alparticularadvantage is the time saving factor and the ease with which paint may beapplied over a wall surface. Paint rollers with which l have beenacquainted include a perforated cylinder about which is wrappedcoverings of fabric material. The cylinder is provided with an axle onwhich it is adapted to rotate, and it is also provided with a handleconnected to the axle whereby the cylinder may be manually rolled over awall surface. Means is incorporated to allow filling of the cylinderwith paint. In the painting operation the paint soaks through theperforated cylinder and the fabric coverings and coats the wall area asthe cylinder is rolled over it. However, rollers of this type have theirdisadvantages in that the cylinder can hold only a small quantity ofpaint and must be continually relled during most painting operations.The latter refilling burden requires considerable manipulation of theroller parts to allow access to the perforated cylinder for refilling.This means a temporary stoppage of the paint job until the roller isrefilled and again ready for use; it means added labor and loss ofvaluable time; it also means soiling of the hands and further loss oftime in cleaning them. Another and a big disadvantage concerns thecylinder, the perforations of which may close upon drying of the paintduring relling operations, particularly where quick drying paints areused or a large job is involved, unless added precautions are taken.Further, unless the roller is kept continually moving, there is atendency of the paint to settle at the bottom of the cylinder and oversaturate the fabric coverings. This results in drippings from the rolleras well as repeated heavier coatings of small areas of the wall.

Now, l have invented a paint roller that represents a decidedimprovement in the type of paint roller described above, in that myroller eliminates all the disadvantages mentioned and in additionprovides many favorable and added advantages.

In the paint roller of my invention there is no need for stopping workto rell the paint cylinder, for this is done automatically from a largeexternal paint supply under air pressure and connected by piping throughthe handle to the roller.

By means of these features unnecessary cleaning and refilling of theroller cylinder is eliminated together with the loss of time attendantupon such operations. By means of the air pressure and valve system thepaint cylinder is kept supplied with paint at all times throughout thepaint job, and because of the air pressure under which the paint issupplied to the cylinder, the perforations of the cylinder are keptfully open at all times, thereby 2,751,618 Patented .lune 26, 1956 ICCallowing a uniform soaking of paint through the fabric cloth coveringsand a uniform application of paint to the wall surface. It can bereadily appreciated that my invention is not only an economical devicebecause of the time and labor it saves, but that it is also a veryimproved type of paint roller.

A further object of the invention is, therefore, a pressure fountainpaint supply roller which may be manually handled.

Another object of the invention is a paint roller which may be keptcontinuously supplied with paint without taking any of its elementsapart and without stoppage of the painting operations.

The invention further lies in certain constructions, arrangements andcoaction of parts, hereinafter more fully described and which willbecome increasingly apparent as this specification unfolds in greaterdetail and as it is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings wherein like parts are identied by like referencenumbers,

Fig. l is a plan view of a paint roller embodying my invention andhaving the roller portion sectioned and cut away to give a clearerunderstanding Vof the inner parts;

Fig. 2 is a detail of the combined roller axle and supply tube; and

Fig. 3 is a detail of the axial support element of the roller.

In describing the invention in further detail reference is directed tothe drawings, wherein there is disclosed a roller element indicatedgenerally as 1 which is adapted to rotate about an axial element 2. Thelatter comprises a tube having a plurality of perforations 3 and isthreaded at its free end 4. The other end of the axial element isthreaded into an elbow member 5. Connected to the other opening of theelbow is a section of supply tubing 6 the other end of which isconnected at 7 to the output end cf a valve member 8. Connected to theinput end of the valve at 9 is a further length of supply tubing 10 onwhich is carried a handle portion 11. The handle, though shown cut awayfor convenience, is of a length suicient to be manually held andpreferably about eight to ten inches long. The free end of the supplytubing 10 is provided with an adapter 13 the end of which is threadedand adapted for connection to a source of paint supply held under airpressure and not shown here. The section of piping 6 is formed so as tobring the Valve and handle elements in a line substantiallyperpendicular to the horizontal axis of the roller.

The handle 11 has an axial bore lengthwise thereof through which thesupply tubing 19 passes. The handle is securely held on the tubing andis restrained from rotating thereon by means of stops 12 and 14, one ateach end thereof. The inner stop 12 abuts against the outer end of thevalve housing, the outer stop 14 abuts against the outer end of thehandle. It can be seen that by securely tightening the adapter 13 on thethreaded end of the handle tubing 10, the outer stop 14 will be drawn upagainst the handle end and the handle will be securely restrainedagainst free movement between both stops. It can also be appreciatedthat the handle may also be force fitted or moulded upon the supplytubing 10, or fitted securely thereon in some other suitable manner.

The valve 8 is of a conventional type the passage through which isconstantly tensioned closed by means of a spring tensioned valve pin 15.A lever 16, overhanging the up-tensioned valve pin 15 and pivoted at anend thereof to the valve housing at 17, includes an extended portion 18.The latter, when pressed downward by the thumb of the hand forces thepin 15 down to cause the passageway through the valve to become opened.Openv ing of the valve permits paint to ow from the supply IJ sourcethrough the handle to the tubing. The latter carries the paint iiow tothe tubular axial element 2 from which it is forced by the air pressureat the supply container through the perforations Aof the axial elementto the roller member 1.

The roller member 1 comprises an axial kperforated tubular supportelement 19 at each end of which is connected an adapter 2) having anextended threaded portion 21. At each end of the element 19 carried onthe extended .portions 2l .is a cup-like member 22. The rim of thelatter folds over, but not vquite upon itself, so as to provide a slightspace between the body of the element 22 and the folded portion. Thecup-like :mem-hers are arranged upon the ends of the member 19 in such-manner that the convexed portions thereof face each other and thedished or cupped portions .face away from each other. By thisarrangement the annular lspace 23 beneath each folded portion of thecup-like elements are opposed to one another, and in which spaces the`opposite ends of a perforated cylinder 24 are adapted to be received. A

' fabric cloth sleeve 25 iits snugly over the cylinder 24,

and over this sleeve is Vanother or `outer sleeve 26 also of clothmaterial.

Paint, carried to the axle element 2, flows through the perforationsthereof as well as through the perforations 27 of the roller Aaxialelement 19`and into the .cylinder 24. The paint then escapes through theperforations of theY cylinder and soaks into Jthe sleeves 25 and26.

The sleeve 25'is of a heavy pervious cloth, preferably of Wovenrwool orthe like, and is doubled upon 4itself lto provide a double thickness andthereby act as a cushion for the roller during the paint rollingoperation. kIt also acts to soak up and to hold paint that escapesthrough the perforations of the cylinder. The outer sleeve 26 is of afiner woven material to which paint seeps from Nthe under sleeve.V Thepaint is transferred from the outer sleeve lto the wall surface as theroller is rolled 'over vthe wall. Slight pressure during the rollingoperation tends to squeeze paint Vfrom the under sleeve through theliner sleeve. Y

To hold the sleeves 25 and 26 stretched taut and smooth upon theperipheral surface of the cylinder 24, another collar 28 is carried onthe outer end of eachadapter 20. The Vfree ends 29 of the sleeves aretucked in between theouter 4collar and the inner collar at each end. The

' outer collars arerthen Vdrawn inward to press `their convexed portions341 tightly against ythe sleeve ends so as to wed-ge the latter tightagainst the inner concaved -or dished faces 31 of the inner collars. Thesleeve ends are locked secure in such positions by threading nuts 32 onthe adapters V20 tightly up against the the outer collars. Y Y

The Vroller is assembled uponKV the axle element 2 by Y passing thelatter through the tubular .axial support member 19 ofthe roller. Abearing bushing 33 carried on the -axle 2 is provided between the outerright end of the roller and lthe inner face of the elbow 5. A cap 34 isthreaded onto the outer left end of the axle V2 to prevent the rollerfrom slipping oif the latter. The inner face -of the -cap serves as 'abearing limiting against the outer left end of the roller securing nut32. The roller rotates coucavedcentral faces of Y on the :axle betweenthe two bearings -as the `roller 'is t moved over a Wall surface.

such as isused in insect spraying and provided with an Y Y airfpumpmaybe used for this purpose. rIt 'can be readily seen 'that when thethumb lever "11S lspresse'd down upon the valve pin 15, the valve willopen an'd YaV supply I'of paint Vwill ow to the paint cylinder 24.

The `roller 'can be maintained full'at all 4times during a particularpaint job by simply Vpressing the thumb lever' Y downy from time 'Ltotime.

'Y o'fsubstantiallylesser diameter'than thecylinder member, 'Y an7adapter 'ofredu'ced diameter fitted over each end of the tubularlmember kand having anV 'extended threaded It can also be seen that bymaintaining a continuous supply of paint in the roller cylinder, theseepage of paint to the sleeve coverings will always be uniformthroughout as the roller is moved over a wall surface. VIt will alsofollow as a result that the paint coating on the wall surface will beuniform throughout and evenly distributed. Y Another feature of theinvention that should now be apparent is that when paint is forced underair Vpressure through the various perforations of the differentelements,

these perforations `will be preventedV from closing over Y and willremain continually open during a `paint job.

While I have described and illustrated my invention, it is my intent,however, to claim the invention not only as shown and described, butalso in all such forms and modifications thereof as may be reasonablyconstrued to be within the spirit of the Letters Patent and the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim: Y

l. In a paint applicator of the character described, a paint applyingroller uni-t comprising a foraminate4 tubular member having reducedthreaded `end portions; a foraminate open ended cylinder member coaxialabout the tubular member and of relatively larger diameter and lengththan the latter; a Apair of dished closure members carried axially, oneon each reduced end portion of the tubular member, 'the dished membershaving opposed v convexed faces and the marginal rim portion of Veach.v

dished member forming an annular channel facing Ythat of the other, inwhich channels the ends of the cylinder` member are-removably received;a double layered sleeve Y member-of heavy woven paint pervious clothcovering the cylinder and a single layered sleeve member of liner wovenVpaint ipervious cloth material covering lthe latter sleeve member, theseveral cloth sleeve members drawntaut and having end portionsoverlapping the dishedface of the respective dished members; a dishedcollar axiallyV carried on each reduced 'end portion of the tubularmember andfnesting in the dished face of the respective dished membersVover Vthe related ends of the sleeve members;A anda nut threaded ontoeach reduced end of the tubular'memb'er 'in tight abutmentV with thedished collar whereby `the several elements of the roller are held to-Vgetherfas a unit, theV tubularV member Vadapted, yto Vbe mounted forrotationon va pressurized paintV supply connected shaft havingperforations in communication -witfh those of the tubular member. Y.

2. Ina .pressure paint supply and paint yapplying apparatustincluding asubstantially goose-necked hollow handle construction connectable atVone end to a source of pressurized paint vsupply 4and having connectedat Vthe opposite end ahorizontally disposed foraminate hollow shaft'externally Vthreaded at its free end, a paint applying rollerunitdetachably mounted on said shaft for rotation thereon,fthe-rollerunit comprising anopen 'ended foraminat'e cylinder member, a dishedYmember covering over each open end of the cylinder, the rims of thedished members defining opposed annular 'channels into which the ends ofthe cylinder 4are removably received, 'the crowned faces ofthe dishedmembers projecting slightly into Athe-opposite open ends `of thecylinder, Va Vdouble layered member of heavy woven paint pervious 'clothY sleeving theV cylinder, a single layered member of finer Woven paintp'ervious cloth sleeving the double layered member, 'the several sleevemembers being 'drawn taut in ,a longitudinal direction and having theirfree ends overlapping the outer -concaved faces 'of the dished mem- Ybers, acomplementary dished member` nesting Vover the overlapping-sleevefendsV in eachgof the iirst mentioned dishedm'einbers', a4foraminate vtubular member axially disposed 'in 'the cylinder in fixedspaced relation to the, surrounding yWall 'ofthe latter, `the tubularmember being free -end Iportion projecting axially fthrough axialv'holes in the related nested dished members, and nuts threaded on thesaid projecting ends into abutment with the outer faces of the nestingdished members whereby the several elements of the roller unit are heldfast to one another; the hollow shaft being received through theprojecting ends of the adapters in bearing relation thereto, the hollowshaft including a bearing bushing limited between a stop of the hollowshaft and a face end of one of the nuts on the adapter elements, and thehollow shaft having a removable cap threaded onto its opposite endYbearing against a face end of the other nut, whereby the roller unit isdetachably carried on the hollow shaft and rotatable thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSKolhnan May 5, Pratt Sept. 5, Raub Aug. 9, Barnes et al. May 30,Schaefer Aug. 28, Findley et al. Apr. 1, Vaden et al. Aug. 12,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Mar. 3,

